Episode Details

This week on The Final Straw, an anarchist living in Mexico talks about the reign of the MORENA party of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (aka AMLO), the new face of capitalism it presents, it's relation to social movements and indigenous sovereignty and the anarchist and indigenous resistance to the regime. We cover mega-projects being pushed through around the country, the repression of activists and more in this whopper of an episode.

Here's a great English-language blog based mostly out of Oaxaca that covers struggle in Mexico and across the northern border: https://elenemigocomun.net/

To learn more about the Anarchist Days that our guest spoke on, you can email janarquistas2020@protonmail.com!

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Final Straw Notes from the guest: AMLO & Mexican social movements

• Partido Revolucionaro Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party) 71 years in power 1929-2000
• PRI lost in 2000 to Vicente Fox (PAN)
• 2006 Felipe Calderon PAN
• 2012 Enrique Peña Nieto
• 2018 AMLO (MORENA)

AMLO's History (Career Politician)

• 1977 Director of National Indigenous Institute of Tabasco
• Late 1980's joined the PRD Party
• AMLO is elected mayor of Mexico City in 2000 with the PRD Party
• 2006 ran for president with the PRD Party
• 2012 ran for president with the PRD Party, afterwards leaving the PRD to form MORENA in 2014
• 2018 won the presidency with 53% of the vote

AMLO's politics, modernization & neoliberal efforts. Fourth transformation? Discourse of "Anti-corruption, address poverty, security, businessmen as mafia of power" Capitalism with a new face "Post-neoliberalism?" Populism- Appeals to national sovereignty, nationalism, domestic self-sufficiency "Popular consultations" to justify and impose megaprojects "mandar obedeciendo" Abrazos no balazos (hugs not bullets) "we don't repress anyone" "Pacifist Government" Modernization, development, overcoming of marginalization, bringing Indigenous communities into the national economy Problematic support of AMLO from leftists in the global north If you want to understand the politics of Mexico, listen to the voices of Indigenous peoples and communities, women in struggle, campesinos Indigenous populations and megaprojects Airport Lake Texcoco New International Airport of Mexico City proposed in 2001 by Vicente Fox, but cancelled shortly after due to organized resistance AMLO cancelled project after carrying out a "popular consultation" Cancel one mega-project to impose three more Expansion of Santa Lucia and Toluca airports Naucalpan- Toluca highway Interurban train - Tren Maya (Mayan Train) 950-mile train connecting principal tourist destinations in the states of Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, Yucatan and Quintana Roo 17 stations including Playa del carmen, Tulum, Palenque, Merida, Cancun Infrastructure projects to be built around train stations For tourists and cargo - "Corredor Transistmico" Interoceanic corridor Industrial corridor connecting the ports of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, on the pacific